1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to telecommunications systems and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for monitoring blocked calls in a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, telecommunications systems provide the ability for two or more people or machines (e.g., computerized or other electronic devices) to communicate with each other. A telecommunications system may include various networks for facilitating communication that may be generally organized into packet networks and circuit-switched networks. An exemplary circuit-switched network includes a plain old telephone system (POTS), such as the publicly switched telephone network (PSTN). Exemplary packet networks include internet protocol (IP) networks, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks, frame-relay networks, and the like. One type of packet network is a voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP) network.
In a VOIP network, operators frequently receive data indicative of blocked calls occurring in the end-to-end network. For example, calls may be blocked (i.e., not established) due to congestion in the network. Typically, the blocked call data comprises a count and description of the nature of the blocked calls (e.g., 600 blocked calls with cause code 102—timer expirer). Blocked call data, however, is often ambiguous, requiring extensive exploration of the problem before it can be repaired. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for monitoring blocked calls in a communication network.